A Conversation with Malaysia’s Top Young Talents

October 23, 2017 , Jobstore Team

What is it about millennials that make them so unique?

They’re passionate about having passion.

They’re eager to prove themselves.

They work hard and play harder.

But above all, they are the generation of the future, the ones who will (or have they already?) change the world as we know it. And today, the Jobstore (JS) team is beyond excited to connect our readers with some of the most inspiring Malaysians who aspire to bring positive changes to our beloved country. In no particular order, let’s meet the top 10 talents in Malaysia!

Charissa Ong Tse Ying – Author

@cotypoems

JS: What or who inspired you to start writing?

I broke up during university and had a lot of free time and emotions on my hands. It was just a way for me to cope. So I uploaded my writings on Instagram and it took off from there. Currently, conversations around me and everyday life inspire me.

JS: Who are your favourite authors?

My top two favourites are Khaled Housseni and Neil Shusterman. They are both novelists and not poets. Somehow their books are the only ones that could evoke real emotions in me when I read them. I’m a huge fan of touching, emotional stories set in depressing climates.

JS: Tell us about your favourite book of all time.

Definitely The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseni. His language and the way he crafts his stories are amazing. They have a really beautiful, simple flow that one can easily follow. Any book that successfully inverts my perspectives (in a good way) are good books.

JS: Can you briefly share with us a day in a life of a writer? What’s your usual writing process like?

Hahaha. There is no real process, but I do try to write a poem twice a week. For short stories, I normally have to dedicate a specific time of the day to really concentrate and immerse myself into the world that I am creating. If I do have writer’s block, I simply do not write that day. I do keep a bunch of keywords on the Keep app on my phone in case the writing bug bites me. And I also keep a discipline of reading a book a week.

JS: How was it like self-publishing your first book?

It was an amazing experience. The process took a lot out of me, physically and mentally. It was really a test of grit and commitment to something that I have set for myself. To have it in the best-sellers and beating out my competitors, that’s just a bonus. I’m just glad I did it.

JS: What is your advice to young Malaysians who aspire to become a writer?

Draft out a full manuscript and send it to publishers and friends, and gather feedback. You can google Manuscript Formats online. In the end, what matters is your end goal. Would you like to write for yourself, share it with just friends and family, or the world? There’s nothing wrong with either goal, it’s just that a lot more work has to be done depending on which. You have to be fully ready for it. Writing is just a part of it because marketing it is a whole different story if you want to get published.

Charissa Ong’s passion towards designing and writing have turned her dream into reality. Her first self-published Poem and Short Stories book, Midnight Monologues became MPH’s Best Book of 2016 and remained to be the Best Sellers list for a year. Recently her work has earned the Award-Winning Finalist in the Poetry category and Best Cover Design: Fiction category of the 2017 International Book Awards. Through her own publishing company, Penwings Publishing she is set on encouraging Malaysians in the culture of reading and supporting local writers with a platform to publish their works.

Steven Steel – Author

Image courtesy of Steven Steel

JS: What or who inspired you to start writing?

So therewas this gang of friends that I had in primary school that were reading fanatics like me. As I hung around them, I started to realise that they weren’t just reading fanatics; they also loved to write the most random stories that you can think up of – from Gregor and the Underworld Chronicles fanfiction to corny love stories that featured our very own classmates. Their enthusiasm in writing was contagious; soon I found myself scribbling in some unused exercise books about my day, about wild, unedited thoughts – basically about anything that popped into my mind.

JS: Who are your favourite authors?

Dan Brown – I love his ability to create suspense throughout his entire novel.

Some of my other favourite authors would be Georgy Orwell, David Baldacci, Suzanne Collins, and Markus Zusak.

JS: Tell us about your favourite book of all time.

This is a hard one… if I were to pick, it would be either Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry or Animal Farm by George Orwell.

JS: Can you briefly share with us a day in a life of a writer? What’s your usual writing process like?

It’s essentially a mixture of writing sprees and tearing your hair out. The writing process is usually 40% writing, 60% editing, and it takes a level of clear-headedness and rational to be able to come up with a convincing and engaging storyline.

JS: How was it like self-publishing your first book?

It felt surreal. The moment I held my final product (book) in my hands, the rush of satisfaction that coursed through my veins overshadowed all the hardships and tough moments that I had during the writing process.

JS: What is your advice to young Malaysians who aspire to become a writer?

Keep writing, and no matter what people say about your works, no matter how much haters or critics lambast your story, just be yourself and don’t try to become someone that you’re not. You know why? ’Cause art is subjective, and it’s impossible for you to please every single person in this world with your words. No matter how successful or great you become, there will always be certain people who will dislike what you do. So just remember this: be yourself, and persevere.

Steven Steel is an award-winning novelist, blogger, and entrepreneur. He won the 2015 Wattys Award—the world’s largest online writing competition—with his novel, Someone’s In My Head. Since its publication in 2015, the science fiction novel has garnered more than 200,000 reads and 10,000 votes on the well-known online reading platform, Wattpad. When he is not reading or writing, he can be seen running cross country, playing the piano, sleeping, and doing a thousand other random stuff that he finds interesting. If you want to know more about him, you can drop by his Wattpad profile.

My business idea was initially a hobby that I wanted to pursue and to earn extra pocket money during my college days. Baking is therapeutic and it was the one activity which I would actually like to do when I feel stressed out. Slowly, the business started to gain popularity and the demand was more than what I could actually cope with. That was when I decided to officially turn my hobby into a business and to have more pair of hands to help me.

JS: What are the top three skills that an entrepreneur must have in order to be successful?

JS: What do you consider your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

My biggest failure is not knowing how to delegate. I tend to do everything by myself as much as I can, from training my chef to the front of the house, managing social media, replying customers inquiries, taking photos of my products to marketing it, from baking to designing packaging, I have always been handling and monitoring things by myself. This exhausts me fast and burns me out from time to time.

I’m still learning the art of delegating so that I can work more productively and efficiently. I am thankful that I now have two reliable teams to manage the production and also my partners who help me out with accounting and paperwork from time to time.

JS: With the constant technological changes, how do you keep your business relevant? What do you expect to achieve in the next five years?

The constant technological changes actually help my business gain exposure faster and also for me to manage my business in a more efficient way. For example, I’m fascinated by the increasing social media users, specifically Facebook and Instagram, which enable businesses like ours to engage with customers in real-time. What’s even better is that these platforms constantly update their features to help us manage the fan page effortlessly. Furthermore, we also have the full control over the content that we want to publish and target online for marketing and advertising purposes without having IT knowledge. As I started my baking business online before I opened two physical outlets, we have indeed come a long way thanks to these technological changes.

For the next five years, I hope that Tiny Temptress will be able to impress and seduce more taste buds, not just in KL and to be recognised and known for our work, our desserts both locally and internationally.

JS: What’s your most memorable moment while building up your business?

The most memorable moment while building up my business would be the moments I’ve shared with people who have made this possible and the conversations that I’ve had with my customers. I am lucky enough to have met my team, fellow friends in the industry, people who share the same interests and goals with me, and also those who love my desserts.

JS: What is your advice to young Malaysians who are passionate about entrepreneurship?

My advice to them would be to be patient, stay humble, never stop learning, to be well equipped before they embark on entrepreneurship. Young Malaysians who I have worked with tend to have shorter concentration span and they tend to get bored of their tasks faster than they master it. Starting a business is fairly easy, as long as you have the financial foundation, everything is possible. Maintaining and sustaining a business is a harder part. It takes more than the knowledge that you have learned from books, it takes more than the skills that you possess, it takes more than that five months experience which you have previously worked in the relevant company, it takes more than common sense too. Stay relevant in the field, constantly upgrade yourself, talk to people who have walked the same path before, get advice from people in the same field, analyse, filter and digest them. Have a solid plan for at least the first five years, know clearly what you want and what you are going to do before actually doing it.

The success and popularity garnered by this pastry chef to date is no surprise thanks to her good-natured spirit. Turning a hobby into a business, she shows that it takes courage, determination, and great goal-setting to make it work. Known for her adorable edible creations (think bear shaped or teacup and saucer-shaped desserts) and luxe chic branding, she is certainly an inspiring Malaysian who plans to put the country on the map with her remarkable desserts. The Tiny Temptress was founded in 2013, what started out as a sweet serendipity has now turned into a journey to seduce taste buds all across KL.

Jazz Tan – Founder of YouthsToday

What sparked your interest to start your business?

My father. I lost him when I was 14 years old. He was murdered in a gang fight. I have since determined to improve the society where kids are nurtured in the right environment off the streets. That is why I built YouthsToday.com, a platform that supports the youths by giving them access to opportunities and connect them with corporate and SMEs.

What are the top three skills that an entrepreneur must have in order to be successful?

Perseverance, determination, hard work.

What do you consider as your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

I think being an entrepreneur is all about not quitting. As long as life knocks you down, just get back up and keep fighting, keep moving forward.

With the constant technological changes, how do you keep your business relevant? What do you expect to achieve in the next five years?

We are constantly listening to the market. What our customers want and what our clients need. We innovate based on their expectations. We are looking into expanding our platform to the Southeast Asia region and getting more youths on board.

What’s your most memorable moment while building up your business?

Definitely securing our initial investment of RM 1 million.

What is your advice to young Malaysians who are passionate about entrepreneurship?

You are only young once. If not now, when?

A social entrepreneur, strategist, inspirational figure and founder of the largest youth online engagement platform in Malaysia to set course and help young people to thrive at their fullest potential. Her past lifestyle and the misfortunes she went through have since given her a new vision, to help youths to a greater future.

Cheah Ka Wai – Co-Founder and Head of Marketing, Breakout Escape Game

Photo credit: Augustman

JS: What sparked your interest to start your business?

To be honest, I have never thought of venturing into business because all this while my aim is to climb the corporate ladder. It all started when my business partners came to me, I was 27 at that point, proposed the idea and suggested that I would be in charge of marketing.

JS: What are the top three values that an entrepreneur must have in order to be successful?

Patience, willingness to learn from mistakes, and willingness to take responsibilities. I wouldn’t say these are the keys to success but they are very important attitudes that every entrepreneur must have in order to keep the business going.

JS: What do you consider your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

I wouldn’t say it’s a failure but more like, we didn’t manage to go viral with our brand and build momentum for growth in the initial stage. Rather than looking at it as a disappointment, we learned to shift our focus to the areas that would drive sales. The problem was that we didn’t have much capital to start with. Our strategy was to build something at our disposal first and eventually secure a business loan. As the concept is quite new and there are no proven ‘success stories’, we failed to obtain any loan and ended up pledging around USD 9,000 (RM37,939.50) each to start the business.

The amount is really not much hence the budget for marketing was very limited. Also, we needed to invest more of what we had in developing the product. With all the (financial) challenges facing us at the time, we had to be creative with our business strategies in order to fully utilise our resources.

Although the brand didn’t really do well at first, I am thankful for the obstacles that we’ve been through, especially when we had no loan in the beginning. The experience had indeed shaped our mentality for commitment to our business when our hard-earned money is at stake.

JS: With the constant technological innovations, how do you keep your business relevant? What do you expect to achieve in the next five years?

Technology is accelerating but not every change will affect all businesses in general. What’s more important is to understand how we can leverage these innovations to boost growth. To us, since we run physical premises, the ultimate goal is to attract customers to Breakout via all marketing tools and channels at our disposal. With the advancement of the digital age, we are able to gain better insights to our customers, which helps to engage them with the best content and services at our escape rooms. As for product perspective, we very much focus how to enhance the quality as well as break away from what is already widely available in the market or what our competitors are already doing.

As of now, we have already 12 outlets globally and we are looking forward to opening 25 more outlets in the next five years. Of course, with a new concept to be revealed when the time comes!

The most memorable moment I had was drafting the business idea with other four business partners in Midvalley food court (we didn’t even have an office space nor employees back then).

JS: What is your advice to young Malaysians who are passionate about entrepreneurship?

Get ready to face rejection, failure, and fall into the bottom of your life. But remember, if you are able to pull through these down times, that’s when you will be welcomed to the peak of your life.

The peak of our life is sometimes not just about being successful. It is about the climb, the toughest challenges that you have to overcome to get you to where you are today.

Cheah Ka Wai broke into the Malaysian startup scene with Breakout Escape game almost three years ago. As the co-founder and head of marketing and digital content for the company, he is determined, focused and equipped with the latest industry knowledge to bring the business to the next level. The Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduate turned entrepreneur has a big vision for the role-playing surreal game chain and looks ahead to the journey it brings for his growing team on a global scale.

Didie Nasir – Co-Founder of DIDA Cosmetics

Photo courtesy of Didie Nasir

JS: What sparked your interest to start your business?

My father was a businessman, seeing him walking out in a suit every morning and taking charge was something I really admire. So growing up, I knew that I wanted to run my own business. The idea of DIDA came up during my recent trip to New York. But what got me really interested to venture into entrepreneurship is the simple fact that one must be detail oriented in order to make it. I enjoy the process of conceptualising, execution as well as the nature of marketing and sales themselves.

JS: What are the top three skills that an entrepreneur must have in order to be successful?

I believe that every entrepreneur needs to have a vision, persistence, and flexibility. Running a business will make you realise that sometimes, things will not go according to plan. So having the flexibility and persistence to push through the difficult times will help you achieve that vision you hold.

JS: What do you consider your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

I used to think that I can do everything on my own. But I realised in time that it was okay to ask for help. So for DIDA, we made sure that we hired the best people and influenced them to reach their fullest potential while contributing to the growth of the company.

JS: With the constant technological changes, how do you keep your business relevant? What do you expect to achieve in the next five years?

We champion customers in social media marketing and through our online platform. So keeping up with the trends and innovations in technology is the key to our continued success. With the data available, we would like to reach more markets and create better shopping experiences for our customers. That would mean having a physical store.

JS: What’s your most memorable moment while building up your business?

I remember the first day that we went live, our website was buzzing with orders that it crashed. The first batch was sold out within 30 minutes! That was definitely a day to remember.

JS: What is your advice to young Malaysians who are passionate about entrepreneurship?

Know that your idea is worth taking a risk, dare to dream big. Once in awhile, put yourself in an ‘uncomfortable’ position because through my personal experience, it has taught me that nothing is too big to conquer if you really set your mind to it.

Mixing beauty and business is a formula for success in the case of DIDA Cosmetics. One half of the founding team, Didie Nasir is a vibrant, passionate, and good-natured woman who believes in the power of social media, online marketing, and dreaming big. Fans of their reasonably-priced signature lip cream range and matte lipsticks proves that local is gold and this persona is ready to take the brand to another level.

Jenn Low – Founder of Wanderlust + Co

Photo courtesy of Jenn Low

JS: What sparked your interest to start your business?

I saw a gap in the market for a jewellery label that delivers luxe, designer pieces at an affordable price point for today’s global digital girl. Having an accounting and media education background, along with work experience within the fashion and merchandising industry in Australia, helped when it came to building the business. I parked the domain name for a year whilst doing product development, market research, and establishing the brand’s identity, and officially launched Wanderlust + Co in 2010.

JS: What are the top three skills that an entrepreneur must have in order to be successful?

Grit. People skills. Be clear on your vision but flexible about how to get there.

JS: What do you consider your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

Oh wow, there have been quite a few mistakes over the years, I can say that for sure! My biggest learning from is to embrace failure itself. I believe that nothing truly goes away until we learn from it – be gracious about mistakes, and appreciate even the toughest times along the journey. Every failure is supposed to build you up and reset you for the other wins that will come in due time.

JS: With the constant technological changes, how do you keep your business relevant? What do you expect to achieve in the next five years?

Ultimately, we are a fashion business using the internet as a platform and an enabler, so I see technological changes and advancements as opportunities rather than as challenges. As for what we expect to achieve in the next five years, we are distributing to more than 400 stores globally, whereas 70% of them located in the US. While those opportunities have brought Wanderlust + Co brand to where it is today, we are working to bring our sights back to Asia, especially in the South East Asia region. Looking around our local malls here in KL, most jewellery brands are from abroad. We aim to grow our retail and wholesale sales through pop-up store initiatives and distribution partnerships across the region. My vision is to grow our reach in the regional market and be true to our vision of being the first Southeast Asian high-street jewellery brand to go global.

JS: What’s your most memorable moment while building up your business?

It was in December 2012, when we sold 200 bracelets in two days. I was excited and overwhelmed at the same time! I remember my whole family worked day and night to help pack the orders – from my siblings to my grandma and cousins. At that time, we still used a shipping method that would take three weeks to be delivered to the US, and I was nervous about getting the parcels to the customers prior to Christmas. It was our first major break, and it was then that I really felt the love that people had for the brand and our products, and realised the traction we had in the US.

JS: What is your advice to young Malaysians who are passionate about entrepreneurship?

We need to be confident that Malaysian brands can compete on a global level. It warms my heart when I hear feedback that Wanderlust + Co has a strong global vibe and that it speaks to today’s digital girl and global audience alike. We live in a time where the internet has made retail borderless and we should rise to the opportunity that the industry has presented to us by creating brands that can resonate with every girl. Also, it’s important for us to recognise the potential of homegrown brands and raise our standards in order to win the global market. With that mindset, we will be able to achieve beyond expectations and produce higher quality products as a whole.Malaysians are hustlers and go-getters – we have the right attitudes that will bring us places, there’s nothing that can stop us from achieving the global success. I’m hopeful that we can make Malaysia the next fashion hub in Asia, just like Japan and Korea, in the near future.

Jenn is positive, beautiful, driven and has built a strong following with her chic pocket-easy jewellery brand, Wanderlust + Co. From Hollywood A-listers to local fashionistas decked up in her brand’s arm candy or dainty earrings, she remains humble and strong-willed, proving that working hard is definitely worth it.

Nadhir Ashafiq – Executive Director of TheLorry

I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship since I was young. My first exposure was through Neopets.com – where I learned how to operate a virtual shop, selling items that I bought at low prices and make a profit. Dabbled in a few ventures such as selling custom Pokemon booster packs, selling CDs of our band’s music, selling contrabands, etc., which unfortunately didn’t last as long.

Every venture had helped me understand economics, consumer behaviour, and general business principles better. For TheLorry – my co-founder and I both worked in logistics prior to starting the company. What we quickly found was the logistics industry, in general, is pretty traditional and manual – which could be inefficient and not cost effective. We founded TheLorry with a vision to transform or even disrupt, a buzzword circulating in mainstream media, the logistics industry through technology.

JS: What are the top three skills that an entrepreneur must have in order to be successful?

Perseverance – it’s never going to be smooth. You have to be prepared for all the ups and downs – that’s what I call the turbulence or an ’emotional roller coaster’.

Speed – being a startup, the only real advantage you have versus the big guys is the fact that a project can be executed faster. Speed is absolutely critical – speed in execution or getting things done, speed in churning out new revenue sources and speed in following up with customers.

Communication – it is also critical that you know how to communicate effectively with your team members, investors, and the general public. Unclear instructions and communication can lead to disasters!

JS: What do you consider your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

I think one of my biggest failures so far is building a company without validating the product. Validation in the sense of testing, experimenting with your target customers before spending time and money on it. This happened to me in my previous startup – where I didn’t speak to a single potential customer or supplier before building the product. The approach was – ‘build it and the customer would come’.

JS: With the constant technological changes, how do you keep your business relevant? What do you expect to achieve in the next five years?

We have to keep up with technological advancements, there’s no other way to go about it. That’s also our whole purpose of existence – to innovate faster than everyone else and capture market share. It won’t be a surprise if we create new products that would cannibalise our own products. Because if we don’t do it ourselves – someone else will.

JS: What’s your most memorable moment while building up your business?

It’s hard to pinpoint one exact memory – as there are so many! But at the top of my head, that would be the day when we were recognised in Forbes 30 under 30 Asia.

JS: What is your advice to young Malaysians who are passionate about entrepreneurship?

Validate your idea before you spend a single cent! I’ve written a lot about this on my personal Facebook and my blog atwww.nadhir.me.

Talk about humble beginnings, Nadhir and his business partner, Goh Chee Hau started TheLorry, which is also available in Singapore, with barely enough knowledge about the logistics industry. In 2014, they dived into the market and soon found themselves listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list thanks to their thirst for entrepreneurship, innovation, and improvement through technology. Together, they bring forward a revamped version of a traditional service to the logistics industry and community – with the aim to always be better, more resourceful and solid.

Agnes Leong and Saran Mutang Tagal – Founders of DIYKL

JS: What sparked your interest to start your business (DIYKL)?

Agnes: There was a gap in the market for fellow makers like us to source for fashion-forward DIY tools and supplies. Since it’s really hassle-free to start a business in Malaysia, we decided to give it a shot and never looked back since.

Saran: When I returned from the UK after graduating, I found it difficult to look for fashion-forward materials to continue my jewellery-making. While practising as a lawyer in Kuala Lumpur back in 2014, I took my idea to Instagram and asked if anyone would like to join me on this venture. Agnes responded to it and the rest is history!

JS: What are the top three skills that an entrepreneur must have in order to be successful?

Agnes: Efficiency, because we both have our own full-time jobs and with the limited time for DIYKL, we can’t afford to waste time. My other two skills are somewhat combined: resourcefulness and accountability. There are only the two of us running DIYKL, so we have to work smart to overcome just about any obstacle in our way. Any business will fall apart if people own up and don’t do their part. Coming from a telecommunications engineering background, the way I work may be too intense for others, but engineers are very goal-oriented and always provide solutions. That has enabled me to execute and coordinate projects more efficiently.

Saran: Success is, of course, subjective. If I had to choose what skills one should have to start something of their own, it would be creativity, resilience, and authenticity. In the past few years, I’ve learned to be more resilient both physically and mentally, which is helpful for character building. I also try to remain as authentic as possible, DIYKL has a humble background and we have been very blessed with amazing opportunities our way.

JS: What do you consider your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

Agnes: I can’t think of a business failure as of now, really. It has been smooth sailing for DIYKL so far.

Saran: I try not to think of anything negative as failures, but that must be the resilience in me! It’s also because I have a day-job so there is added stress. Sure, there will be ups and downs but being able to look at things from different perspectives will change your horizon. Better to be an optimist than a pessimist.

JS: With the constant technological changes, how do you keep your business relevant? What do you expect to achieve in the next five years?

Agnes: Businesses have to keep up with changes in tech, no questions about it. With smartphone penetration at an all-time high in Malaysia, everyone is constantly on their phones looking for the next best deals, restaurant reviews, online shops, keeping in touch with their friends, and so much more! The bare minimum for any business to stay relevant is to register themselves on Google My Business just so your info will be listed on Google Maps. We’ve decided from the start that we will only keep our business online. With so much automation that Shopify (our e-commerce platform) can offer, we’re able to focus on engaging with our customers instead of nitty-gritty paperwork like sorting out payments, sending out order confirmation emails etc. In the next five years, I would like to see a community of fellow makers like us passing their skills on to others who are keen to learn. So far, it’s only the two of us running workshops, but if we can spread the joy of learning and teaching new skills to the public, that would be amazing.

Saran: Adapting to trends, as well as keeping up to date with current marketing tools. I am also a big fan of Instagram’s stories. The fact that they’ve just included a ‘poll’ is so much fun because our followers can directly interact with us and their input is taken into account. DIYKL continue to evolve since its inception in 2015, but I’d love to create a syllabus to not only spread creativity but for others to be able to as well.

JS: What’s the most memorable moment while building up your business?

Agnes: My most memorable memory would be when we were featured as CLEO Hot Shots back in 2015! It was surreal to be featured in a publication I grew up reading.

Saran: So many memorable moments! From our first interview on the radio with BFM 89.9 to being featured as CLEO Hot Shots and most recently, our leathercraft workshop with MTV Asia’s ‘The MTV Show’! I am so thankful for the amazing support and opportunities given to us, it’s all God’s blessings.

JS: What is your advice to young Malaysians who are passionate about entrepreneurship?

Agnes: One thing I’ve noticed is that the people I meet would have great ideas for a business, but when it comes to executing said plans, they don’t know where to start. If you can’t afford professionals, there are countless other tools, apps, and software that can help you get started, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! You can start your own online store once you’ve learned a little HTML/CSS coding, basic photography and editing, and SEO (search engine optimisation).

Saran: Start small and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your family and friends! Keep on learning on how to grow your passion. For me, leathercraft was a craft I’ve loved from years ago during my university days. When I found that self-learning was not enough, I decided to expand my knowledge when I was in Thailand and the United Kingdom. Now, our leathercraft workshops are one of our most popular workshops! Also, an idea is only an idea until you make it a reality – just don’t forget to have fun on your journey.

DIY aficionados, Saran and Agnes are the founders of DIYKL, a platform for collective makers to learn and make their own unique pieces since its birth in 2015. Fuelled and encouraged by culture, traditions, and their surroundings, this duo hopes to inculcate the same joy and interest amongst fellow Malaysians. From fun fashion accessory kits to original craft workshops, DIYKL’s got it and there’s more to look forward to from them in the future.

There’s no overnight success so if you aspire to do something, stick to your plan and keep hustling. Whether it is to land the job of your dreams, to get a promotion at work, or even to start your own business, it all boils down to persistence and the willingness to learn from failure.

Good luck!

If you aspire to run your own business, we have something exciting to share especially for the ladies! This coming 28th November, join HerPortal Malaysia at HER Conference – a one-day private conference that connects aspiring women to business experts, women founders and leaders. The goal is to empower each and everyone to pursue their entrepreneurship and continue to grow together.